Pulley construction



April 13, 1937. L. J. VOGEL 2,076,637 v PULLEY CONSTRUCT ION Filed Aug.23, 1935 I: i I

ATTOENEY5 Patented Apr. 13, 1937 r I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE2,076,687 PULLEY CONSTRUCTION Leo J. Vogel, South Hills, Pittsburgh, Pa.Application August 23, 1935, Serial No. 37,465 g Y 4 Claims. (01.74-43024) My invention relates to a new and improved The pulley I isprovided with any suitablenumdrive pulley construction.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide angles with each other.There may be any numcable or the like, whereby a firm gripping conguidea plunger II. At its inner end, each plunger tact is secured between therope or other drive II is provided with a fork I2 and each said forkmember, and that portion of the surface of the I2 is provided with aroller I 4 which rides against pulley, which is in contact with the ropeor the the surface of the cam 7. Each said plunger II 10 tramway, or anyoperating cable or rope. spring I5 abuts the head I 6 which is provided5 Another object of my invention is to provide a on the plunger I I.Said springs I5 keep rollers releasable engaging means between the ropeand I4 in contact with cam I a suitable portion of the periphery of thepulley. If desired, the member It may be a washer Another object of myinvention is to provide which is adjustably mounted upon the plunger I Ia device of this type which is simple to construct by means of locknutsL which can be adjustably and to operate. connected to the plunger I Forthis purpose, 20

Other objects of my invention will be set forth the inner end of theplunger II can be externally in the following description and drawing,which threaded and the fork I2 may have a bore which illustratepreferred embodiments thereof, it is internally threaded. beingunderstood that the above general state- The adjustable mounting of themember It on ment of the objects of my invention is intended the plungerII, regulates the gripping action of 25 limiting it in any manner. 2.That is, the members II, I2 and I6 can be ad- Fig. 1 is a sideelevation, partially in section, justed to each other, so as to controlthe grip of showing the improved device. member I 7, and the members II,I2 and I6 are Figs. 2 and 3 are respectively sectional views held insaid adjusted position, by locknuts or on the lines 2-2 and 33 ofFig. 1. other suitable means.

Fig. 4 is an end elevation, partially in section, Each plunger II isassociated with a gripping showing a modified device. member I 1, whichis pivoted at I8 to the periphery Fig. 5 is a sectional view, partiallyin elevation or rim of the pulley I. For this purpose, the peon the line5 5 of Fig. 4. riphery or rim of the pulley I is provided with 35 Refering to 1, this ShOWS a pulley I which lugs I9 at one face thereof, andeach pivot pin drives or is driven by a rope 2, or any other suit- [8passes through a, pair of lugs I9 and through able member. The member 2may be a steel cable the gripping member or the like- The outer end ofeach lun er II ma be lo- 40 The pulley I is mounted on or connected to acatedp g y 40 5 cesses. For convenience, the right-hand side of whoseoints may enter suitable recesses in the shaft 3, or by any otherconventional means, if it the pulley I (referrmg to 2) may be deslg isdesired to have shaft 3 and pulley I turn in nated as the Inner face ofSaid pulley I. unison The operation of the device is as follows:

The shaft 3 is mounted in a suitable bearing It is desired to provide ay firm rip be- As shown in greater detail in Fig. 4, this beartween thembe 2 a d the pulley I aion about ing is of the ordinary split type, thetwo parts of one-half the ci mf r nce of the pulley n the bearing beingconnected by suitable bolts 6. to release this grip along .the remainderof the A stationary cam I is connected to, the bearing periphery of thepulley I. However, the member 5 by any suitable means, such as bolts 8.2 can be gripped to the pulley I, along an are 55 2 which is less ormore than one-half the circumference of the-pulley l.

Referring to Fig. 1, the high portion of the cam is between the points Aand B, proceeding in the counterclockwise direction. Hence, the grippersl1 are operated so as to grip the rope, by means of plungers ll, overapproximately one-half the circumference of the cam 1.

The gripping of the rope or cable 2 to the pulley is independent of thedirection in which the rope or cable'i is actuated.

For example, in the embodiment shown in Fig. l, the rope is gripped tothe. pulley between the points A and B.

Fig. 2 shows the operative or gripping position of the member I I1, andFig. I operative or non-gripping position ofthe member l1. I

Referring provided with to Fig. 4, this Show; the ba gers apered orwedge-shaped heads 20. These heads 20 reciprocate in radial recessesthis embodimen plungers ll co-operate wit invention, but

' positively which: are provided in the rim of the pulley. In

videdwith a series of rim members 22, each of which is associated with ahead 20 'of a plunger ll. o 7 o A series of gripping members 21 havetheir inner ends turnably located in recesses 23 which are provided inthe rim i9. When the plungers H are moved outwardly, the inclined facesof said h the adjacentfaces or the gripping members" 2|, so as to turnsaid gripping members. 2i to the gripping position which is illustratedin Fig. 4.

The members 22 limit the movement of the members 2 i.

In the inoperative position of the'member 20, the members 2| are allowedto turn away from the gripping position which is illustrated in Fig. 4.

I have shown preferred embodiments of my it is clear that variouschanges and omissions could be made from the details described, withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention. 7

If desired, the plungers could be connected to the gripping members, soas to release said gripping members positively'from the rope or cable,when the plungers are moved away fromthe rim of the pulley. v f V Thewalls of the gripping members-which contact'with the rope or'cable 2,have "a contour which the gripping members are drive pulley undercorresponds to, or which is identical with, the corresponding wall ofthe rim of the pulley, in which the grippingmembers are located. The rimof the pulley has a groove of smooth concave cross-'section;and the roperests upon the wall of'the pulley, preferably even atthe points wherelocated, so that the gripping members exerta'lateral grip. Theuse of thegripping members eliminates the necessity of a frictional grip betweenthe rope andpulley, so that the pulley can drive a slack rope.

This is of particular importance inoperating a monocable aerial tramway,or the pull cable of a bi-cable aerial tramway.

Ordinarily it is necessarytohave the. cable of a monocable aerialtramwaypassing around the tension. The improved drive pulley makes it possibleto operate the pull' cable or a bi-cable system, in transporting heavyloads in an upwardly inclined direction, even though the pull cable isrelatively slack.

3 shows the inthe rim la of the pulley is pro- 7 V invention but thepulley. Hence the rope is gripped by a lateral between each grippingmember and the upstanding inclined part of the opposite wall of thepulley groove. This construction minimizes the deformation ,of the ropeby the gripping members, because the rope is always in pincer action,

contact with the innermost part of the wall of the pulley groove.

When a gripping member is forced to the operative position, about 135 ofthe adjacent periphery ofthe rope will retain a substantially truecircular contour, which corresponds subcontour of the groove of the rimThe remainder of the periphery of the ropewill, be distorted by thegripping presa rigid. wall of the pulley groove t 135-I40, the ropewould 'be distorted throughout into elliptical form, which would lessen,the gripping, efficiency and lower the life of the ropes That is, in theimproved device, the rope and is supportedat all points of its contactwith the concave wall of the groove of the pulley.

The gripping members are preferably locat in slots which extend througha part of the wall of the grooved rim of the pulley. Said slots may bereplaced by lateral recesses.

It will be noted that the gripping members are operated by devices whichmove parallel to the plane of turning of, the pulley; to be limited tothis detail, as the invention covers a device in which gripping membersare operated by reciprocating operating members. It is obvious that theclaims also cover a driven pulley.

I have shown preferred embodiments it is clear that numerous changes andomissions can be made without departing from its'spirit.

I claim:

1..A drive pulley arms, radially-movable plungers mounted in said arms,a stationary cam associated with the inner ends of said plungers,springs maintaining the inner ends of said plungers in contact withsaidabuts I do not wish earn, and gripping members turnablyv connected 1 ito said pulley and operated by said plungers.

2. A drive pulley having a rimprovided: with a groove, a stationary camassociated'with the centralxpart of said pulley,,plungers operatedbysaid cam, said plungers being radially movable,

and being slidably mounted in provided at a face of said pulley, beingbetween the, centre of the pulley and said groove, spaced grippingmembers located in bearingswhich are" said bearings spaced slots Ofsaidgroove and adjacent the 3. A drive pulley having a rim which is providedwith radial recesses, radially movable plungers having heads slidablylocated in said recesses, means formoving said plungers to-and-fro .inradial directions-gripping members turnably located in said rim andactuated by said heads, said heads being tapered, the inner ends of saidgripping members being located in recesses of the rim, and'rim membersfor holding said gripping members within said rim.

2,076,687 3 4. A drive pulley having a. rim which is provided with agroove, said groove having a wall of concave cross section, said wallhaving spaced which is located in s openings therein, laterally movablegripping out on the wall of said groove, save at said 5 members locatedin said spaced openings, means for actuating said gripping members in alateral LEO J. VOGEL.

